Burma: International Assistance

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage other donors to contribute to the joint UN-NGO fund in response to the cyclone in Burma, launched on 10th July.

Michael Foster: On 9 July the Secretary of State for International Development wrote to a range of like-minded development Ministers urging them to offer generous support to the UN appeal for Burma which was to be launched the following day. The Secretary of State has also offered to support the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, in his efforts to encourage other donors to contribute more to the UN appeal. The Department for International Development (DFID) and Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) officials have followed up through bilateral contacts with other donors and in international forums.
	The Secretary-General of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, is also working to encourage other donors to increase their contributions top the Burma cyclone relief effort.

Departmental Pay

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in his Department in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Douglas Alexander: DFID paid a total of £641,510 in non-consolidated performance bonuses to 71 senior civil servants in the last year in recognition of their performance during the 2007-08 reporting year.
	DFID's reward arrangements for the 2007-08 financial year did not allow/or the payment of end of year performance bonuses to staff below the senior civil service.

Palace of Westminster

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what representations the Commission has received from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment on the erection of temporary structures on the Terrace; what the Commission's policy is on the erection and dismantling of such structures; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment has advised that the erection of temporary structures on the Terrace is more a matter for the local planning authority advised by English Heritage rather than their organisation.
	The House does not have a policy on the erection of temporary structures; the matter being delegated to the Director General of Facilities who will consult the appropriate authorities according to the sensitivity of the proposal.
	Conservation bodies have expressed concern for some time about the appearance of the marquees on the Terrace. However, Members and their visitors greatly value the facilities they provide and they are in considerable demand. The existing structures are, however, coming to the end of their economic life. The question of their replacement will need to be addressed soon requiring wide consultation in both Houses before deciding on a way forward.

Floods: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what hydrological assessments have been made of the state of water courses and consequential flood risk in rural Bassetlaw since 1978.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	From 1996 the Environment Agency can confirm the following work has been undertaken:
	Idle & Torne Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS) which was published in March 2007.
	Hydrological investigations have been carried out for Anglian Water (by Grontmij) on the River Poulter and River Idle.
	Groundwater abstractions operated by Yorkshire Water in the area of the River Idle have been reviewed to ascertain whether they were having an impact on the wellbeing of the River Idle Washlands.
	In December 2006 the Environment Agency produced the River Idle Washlands SSSI Water Level Management Plan (WLMP).
	The Environment Agency are currently working on the building of a regional groundwater model for the East Midlands Yorkshire Sherwood Sandstone Model. This is due to be completed by the end of this financial year.
	Following the flooding of June 2007 the Environment Agency commissioned consultants to produce reports about the events that occurred in Worksop and Retford.
	The Environment Agency has carried out the following mapping studies, which include hydrological analyses, within the Bassetlaw constituency:
	River Idle Flood Risk Mapping, March 2005
	River Maun, Strategic Flood Risk Mapping, March 2007
	River Meden, Strategic Flood Risk Mapping, June 2008
	River Ryton, Strategic Flood Risk Mapping, March 2008
	Tidal Trent Strategy, April 2005
	Laneham Beck Strategic Flood Risk Mapping, 2007.
	Information on studies carried out pre 1996 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) arrested,  (b) cautioned and  (c) proceeded against for buying or attempting to buy alcohol for someone under age in each of the last three years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 17 October 2008
	The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally. The offence of buying or attempting to buy alcohol for someone under age is not a notifiable offence and does not form a part of the arrests collection.
	In relation to those cautioned and proceeded against for the offence of buying or attempting to buy alcohol for someone under age; I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker) on 23 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2146W.
	Data for 2007 will be available in November 2008.

Offensive Weapons: Young People

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many successful prosecutions have been brought against those arrested for the sale of knives to underage persons through commercial premises in  (a) England and  (b) Wales in the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many prosecutions for the sale of knives to underage persons have been brought against commercial premises in  (a) England and  (b) Wales in the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many successful prosecutions have been brought against those arrested for the sale of knives to underage persons through internet sites and mail order companies in  (a) England and  (b) Wales in the last 10 years;
	(4)  how many prosecutions for the sale of knives to underage persons have been brought against internet sites and mail order companies in  (a) England and  (b) Wales in the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: The available information on prosecutions and convictions for this offence is in the following table. Information does not distinguish individuals prosecuted or convicted. 2007 figures will be published in November 2008. On 1 October 2007 it became illegal to sell a knife to anyone under 18; previously the minimum age was 16.
	
		
			  Number of prosecutions( 1)  and convictions( 2)  for offences relating to sale of a knife to a person under 16 years in England, and Wales 1997 to 2006( 3, 4) 
			 England  England: of which  (i.e. these figures are included in the England figures) are Others (i.e. companies etc)  Wales  Wales: of which (i.e. these figures are included in the Wales figures) are Others(i.e. companies etc) 
			  Offence description  Statute  Year  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Any person who sells to a person under age of 16 years a knife; knife blade, razor blade, axe and any other article which has a blade, that is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person. Criminal Justice Act 1988, sec 141A as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996, sec 6(1) 1997 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   1998 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			   1999 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			   2000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   2001 6 5 5 4 3 3 0 0 
			   2002 11 10 7 7 0 0 0 0 
			   2003 15 15 7 7 2 2 1 1 
			   2004 9 7 5 4 2 2 0 0 
			   2005 29 26 8 7 0 0 0 0 
			   2006 62 50 20 16 1 1 0 0 
			 (1) Prosecution data for England and Wales relate to the number of defendants which includes male, female and others. The Others column shows the number of prosecutions for others (i.e. companies). This figure is already included in the respective areas' figures. (2) Conviction data for England and Wales relate to the number of defendants which includes male, female and others. The Others column shows the number of convictions for others (i.e. companies). This figure is already included in the respective areas' figures. (3) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence Is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Terrorism

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the statement of 15 December 2005,  Official Report, columns 167-71WS, on counter-terrorism: progress report, what progress has been made on the development of a database of individuals who have demonstrated unacceptable behaviour.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 October 2008
	Since August 2005, 79 such individuals have to date been excluded from entering this country and placed on the watch list. This is on-going work which is being taken forward in co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of Communities and Local Government, police, various community groups, and others who bring to our attention individuals who are considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour.

Business: Yorkshire

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government has taken to improve business development in  (a) Leeds and  (b) Yorkshire since 2000.

Patrick McFadden: Since 2000 the Government have helped to ensure business success by promoting the creation and growth of business and a strong enterprise economy across all regions; ensuring that all Government Departments and agencies deliver better regulation for the private, public and third sectors and delivering free and fair markets, with greater competition, for businesses, consumers and employees.
	Since 2000 the regional development agencies (RDAs) have been charged with stimulating the economic regeneration of the English regions through regional economic strategies.
	The RDA for Yorkshire and the Humber, Yorkshire Forward, working together with local authorities and other regeneration organisations, has supported the building of a stronger, mixed economy that combines a strong service sector with a higher value manufacturing sector, with more people starting their own businesses and new businesses that survive longer. As a result, the region's economy has been transformed following the decline in core traditional industries and recovered well from natural disasters such as foot and mouth in 2001 and flooding in 2007. Latest data to 2006 show it has had consecutive years of growth above the EU average.
	Latest statistics show there were over 350,000 businesses in the Yorkshire and the Humber region at the start of 2007, up by 94,000 (37 per cent.) from 256,000 in 2001.
	Yorkshire Forward has been leading on the simplification of business support provision in the region. The most significant change for business so far has been the rationalisation of the Business Link network and the development of a single regional gateway to business support (Business Link Yorkshire) that was launched in April 2008. This will significantly reduce the duplication of services, provide greater clarity, and redirect resources into front-line support services for businesses in the region. Yorkshire Forward also plans to make significant changes to its own support mechanisms, to focus on supporting six core programmes of activity that aid the overall start up and growth of a business.
	Examples of specific support programmes that have supported business development include:
	Objective 1 European Funding for South Yorkshire—where the 2000-06 programme worth a total of £2.4 billion (including over £770 million from the European Union's Structural Fund budget as well as public and private sector resources) resulted in over 1,300 new small and medium enterprises and over 30,000 new jobs in the area.
	Objective 2 European Funding for the rest of Yorkshire and the Humber—where total of nearly £1 billion (including £350 million of European Structural Funds alongside UK public and private sector sources) resulted in over 22,000 new jobs.
	Yorkshire and Humber Manufacturing Advisory Service (Y and H MAS)—based on a national scheme, where since 2002 advisers have worked with almost 2,500 manufacturers across the region to improve their processes and productivity, helped to secure 17,640 jobs and create 1,140 new jobs and made productivity improvements which have contributed to an overall increase in turnover of over £200 million.
	The region's Graduate Retention Programme, which has been running for six years, funded by Yorkshire Forward in partnership with the region's universities, which aims to retain graduates from the universities and colleges of Yorkshire and Humber, as well as the attracting graduate talent from outside the region. This is critically important for business' ability to compete on a national and international stage.
	Centres of Industrial Collaboration (CICs)—are funded by Yorkshire Forward. They aim to get knowledge within universities into companies in practical ways. Since their launch in 2003 they have collaborated with over 1,800 businesses and generated more than £39 million of research income for the region.
	Leeds and the wider Leeds city region have benefited, as have all parts of the region, from these programmes.
	Since 2005, a major new driver for encouraging enterprise in the neediest areas of the region is the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI). Yorkshire and Humber has five LEGI partnerships, led by the local authorities, working to ensure wider benefits of business growth spread to more deprived communities. They will be supported by £128.6 million from the Government over five years. The five LEGI schemes cover Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Doncaster and North East Lincolnshire.
	The Leeds LEGI programme, entitled 'Sharing the Success' aims to address great imbalances in the local economy. Leeds has been awarded approximately £20 million to deliver an enterprise programme targeted at tackling worklessness issues in its most deprived neighbourhoods. To date nearly 50 new businesses have started in the LEGI area, nearly 100 new jobs created and over 100 local residents found employment.

Powers of Entry

James Duddridge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation sponsored by his Department and its predecessor has (i) amended and (ii) enhanced existing powers of entry since May 1997.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State for the Home Department on 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 576W.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in West Chelmsford constituency have  (a) applied for a grant for energy efficient measures under the Warm Front scheme and  (b) been awarded a grant for energy efficient measures under the scheme.

Joan Ruddock: Between 1 June 2005 and 30 September 2008, 1,273 households in West Chelmsford applied for a Warm Front Grant, 859 have qualified and of these 721 have received assistance. The remaining 138 households are awaiting the delivery of measures.
	Prior to 2005 the scheme was delivered by a different scheme manager and the data retained by the present administrator is not sufficient to provide a response with the level of detail requested.

Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the net change in the number of train carriages on the rail network has been since 1 May 1997, allowing for the removal of Mk 1 trains and other time-expired vehicles, in  (a) absolute and  (b) percentage terms; and what the change in passenger numbers has been over the same period.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold the detailed information.
	In May 1995 the number of vehicles on lease was 10,401 and, as of today, the number on lease on the Rail Network is around 11,150, an increase of around 7.2 per cent. It should also be noted that a further 1,300 vehicles will be delivered as part of the High Level Output Specification (HLOS), of which 423 have already been ordered. In 1997-98 there were 846 million passenger journeys and by 2007-08 this had risen to 1,232 million.
	Although the numbers may seem disproportionate in percentage terms it should be noted that off peak traffic and non—London traffic has grown substantially faster than London peak traffic; hence, a large proportion of the extra journeys are being made on what were previously under utilised trains.

Waste Management: Public Participation

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses to the consultation on joint waste authorities' regulations and guidance.

Jane Kennedy: Responses to the consultation are publicly available in DEFRA'S library.

Driving Offences

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for driving without insurance in  (a) Wales and  (b) each region of England in (i) each of the last 10 years and (ii) 2008.

Maria Eagle: Available information on magistrates courts proceedings for the offence of 'use of a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks' from 1997 to end 2006 (latest available) is contained in the following table. Data for 2007 will be available later this year; while2008 data will be available later in 2009.
	From 1 June 2003, the offence of 'use of a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks' became a fixed penalty offence. The table does not include fixed penalty notices issued and paid where there is no further action for the offence but may include cases where fixed penalty notices were issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court.
	
		
			  Proceedings at magistrates courts for 'using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks'( 1) , by GOR, 1997 to 2006 
			  Number of offences 
			  Government office region  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003( 2)  2004  2005  2006 
			 Wales 26,864 27,969 26,976 26,064 24,892 28,371 30,077 27,686 22,696 22,363 
			 North East 20,387 20,302 23,526 23,458 22,687 24,143 24,328 23,582 20,793 17,645 
			 North West 70,946 68,125 69,331 71,427 71,405 73,557 82,086 73,991 66,415 56,686 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 43,542 43,125 46,436 48,148 50,516 46,536 49,994 53,055 46,618 40,303 
			 East Midlands 32,937 33,193 35,047 31,778 29,871 29,226 36,361 38,808 30,618 25,359 
			 West Midlands 49,456 51,114 46,403 48,746 45,028 50,955 55,114 58,544 52,623 46,880 
			 East 27,095 27,875 26,278 27,553 29,550 32,351 35,177 33,051 31,666 30,464 
			 London 44,954 38,191 33,806 31,387 33,858 38,838 45,663 50,618 48,722 47,707 
			 South East 44,865 42,573 43,098 44,145 43,584 45,780 45,388 41,641 36,732 34,259 
			 South West 36,087 37,607 36,518 38,953 36,907 40,641 43,079 40,843 35,880 31,815 
			 (1) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.143(2). (2) As from 1 June 2003, 'driving a motor vehicle while uninsured against third party risks' became a fixed penalty offence.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences may be less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Prisons: Fires

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many fires there were in prisons in each of the last five years; and what the cost of repairing the damage caused by each of them was.

David Hanson: The data requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Total number of fires for the last five financial years 
			   Number 
			 2003-04 1,101 
			 2004-05 1,040 
			 2005-06 1,087 
			 2006-07 1,094 
			 2007-08 1,064 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.
	The cost of cell fires (as this is where most fires take place) are not reported centrally therefore this information is not readily available.
	Where there is damage to the cell but no injury to persons and damage is considered to be low level, the matter is generally not pursued by the police; however, this may be subject to local adjudication procedures. If the charge is proven as a result of the adjudication there may be loss of privileges, earnings or segregation of the prisoner in question.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans are in place to assess and review the effects of implementation of the changes to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.

Bridget Prentice: The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) has established a special user group, on which the parent-led Independent Panel for Special Education Advice (IPSEA) is represented, to advise it on what is practical and appropriate for users in the new arrangements. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Straw) will be able to ask the Senior President of Tribunals to report on this group's work in the annual report that the Senior President of Tribunals submits to him.

Suicide Act 1961

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the operation of section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961; and how many proceedings have been brought under this section since 1978.

Jack Straw: As a result of public concern about possible links between suicide and the internet, and in line with recommendations from the Byron Review and the Law Commission, we have considered whether the law in this area could usefully be clarified. As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Maria Eagle) told Parliament in a written ministerial statement on 17 September 2008,  Official Report, column 142WS, we have concluded that the scope of the current law should not be changed but that the existing statutory language of section 2 of the Suicide Act should be simplified and modernised in a way which will make it clearer for everyone to understand.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to the Suicide Act 1961 S.2(l), 1978 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in November of 2008.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences relating to the Suicide Act 1961 S.2(1), 1978 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Proceeded against 
			 1978 0 
			 1979 0 
			 1980 l 
			 1981 4 
			 1982 2 
			 1983 2 
			 1984 1 
			 1985 0 
			 1986 1 
			 1987 2 
			 1988 1 
			 1989 5 
			 1990 11 
			 1991 1 
			 1992 4 
			 1993 3 
			 1994 0 
			 1995 3 
			 1996 3 
			 1997 4 
			 1998 1 
			 1999 2 
			 2000 4 
			 2001 2 
			 2002 2 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 5 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions: Suicide Act 1961 Sec 2(1). Suicide (Aiding, Abetting etc). (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit - Ministry of Justice.

Youth Offending Teams: Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the national performance targets for youth offending teams were in each of the last five years; and what the performance of Torbay Youth Offending Team was against those targets.

David Hanson: A summary of Youth Offending Teams national performance targets for the last five years, along with information on Torbay YOT's performance against these targets is shown.
	 First-time entrants
	This data is not yet available.
	 Final Warnings
	The performance indicator for the years 2003-04,2004-05 and 2005-06 was to ensure that 80 per cent. of final warnings were supported by interventions. For the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 the target was raised to 100 per cent. but only applied to young people if their total asset score is greater than or equal to 12, there are any concerns of risk of serious harm to others or their total score is less than 12 but any sections score four. The required target was met by Torbay YOT in each of these years.
	 Use of secure facilities
	The secure remand performance indicator for years 2003-04, 2004-05,2005-06 and 2006-07 was to reduce the number of remands to the secure estate to no more than 30 per cent. of all remand episode decisions (excluding conditional and unconditional bail). In 2007-08 the new remand target was to reduce the number of remands to no more than 9 per cent. of all remand episode decisions (excluding unconditional bail). The target for custodial sentences was to reduce the number of custodial episodes to no more than 6 per cent. of all court disposals in years 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06. and to no more than 5 per cent. in the years 2006-07 and 2007-08. The Torbay YOT has achieved the target for custodial sentences in all five years whereas the target for secure remands was met in 2005-06 only.
	 Restorative justice
	The performance indicator for 2007-08 was to ensure that victims participate in restorative processes in 25 per cent. of relevant disposals referred to the YOT. Prior to 2007-08 the indicator was to ensure that 75 per cent. of the victims of all youth crimes referred to YOTs are offered the opportunity to participate in a restorative process. In 2003-04 the indicator was to ensure restorative processes are used in 80 per cent. of disposals. The target was exceeded by the YOT in Torbay in all years except in 2003-04.
	 Victim Satisfaction
	In 2003-04 the performance indicator was to ensure that, by the end of the year, 70 per cent. of victims who have been consulted or participated in restorative processes were either satisfied or very satisfied with the outcome. In years 2004-05 to 2006-07 the indicator was to ensure that 75 per cent. of victims participating in a restorative process were satisfied. In 2007/08 the target raised to 85 per cent. The indicator has been exceeded by the Torbay YOT in all five years.
	 Parenting interventions
	In 2007-08 the indicator was to ensure that for 20 per cent. of young people with Final Warnings with intervention, relevant community-based penalties, or DTO, their parent/carer(s) received a parenting intervention. Previously the target was 10 per cent. of young people with community-based penalties. Torbay YOT achieved the target in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	 Parental Satisfaction
	In 2003-04 the performance indicator was to ensure that 70 per cent. of parents completed parenting programmes (voluntary and statutory) and that, of those, at least 70 per cent. were satisfied or very satisfied—the target was met by Torbay. In years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 the parental satisfaction indicator was to ensure that 75 per cent. of parents participating in parenting interventions are satisfied. The indicator was exceeded by Torbay YOT in each of those years.
	 Parenting prevention
	The performance indicator for 2007-08 was to ensure that for 20 per cent. of young people on prevention programmes, their parent/carer(s) receive a parenting intervention. The target has been successfully met by the Torbay YOT.
	 Asset
	The performance indicator was to ensure that Asset was completed for all (100 per cent.) young people subject to final warnings, relevant community based penalties and sentences.
	The required target was achieved by Torbay YOT in 2003/04,2004/05,2005/06 and has been narrowly missed in 2006-07.
	 Pre-sentence reports
	The performance indicator was to ensure that 90 per cent. of pre-sentence reports (PSR) prepared for courts were produced within the time scale prescribed by National Standards. The target has been narrowly missed in 2003-04 and achieved in all of the remaining years.
	 Detention and Training Order
	The performance indicator was to ensure that all (100 per cent.) initial training plans for young people subject to DTOs were developed within the time scales prescribed by national standards. The Torbay YOT met this indicator in 2003-04,2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	 Education, training and employment
	The performance indicator was to ensure that 90 per cent. of young offenders supervised by YOTs are in suitable full-time education, training or employment (ETE). The required target level has still not been met by the YOT in Torbay.
	 Suitable accommodation
	The performance indicator was to ensure that all (100 per cent.) young people completing community interventions, or on release from the secure estate, have suitable accommodation to go to. Torbay has narrowly missed this target in each of the years.
	 Mental Health
	The performance indicator was to ensure that all (100 per cent.) young people, who were assessed by Asset or the Mental Health Assessment Framework as manifesting:
	acute mental health difficulties, are referred by YOTs to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for a formal assessment commencing within five working days of the receipt of referral, with a view to their accessing a tier 3 service or other appropriate CAMHS tier service based on this assessment
	non-acute mental health concerns are referred by the YOT for an assessment, and engagement by the appropriate CAMHS tier (1-3) commencing within 15 working days.
	The target on Acute Mental Health was achieved by Torbay YOT in 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2006-07. On non-acute mental health the target has been met in 2003-04 and 2004-05.
	 Substance Misuse
	The performance indicator was to ensure all young people were screened for substance misuse, that those with identified needs receive appropriate specialist assessment within five working days and following the assessment, access the early intervention and treatment services they require within 10 working days. The target on the timeliness of the assessments has been achieved by Torbay YOT in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The target for the timeliness of the interventions has been met in each year since 2005-06.
	 Reoffending
	In 2006-07 the performance indicator was to reduce the reoffending rate for the 2005 cohort after 12 months, when compared to the 2002 baseline, with the respect of the following four populations:
	pre-court
	first-tier penalties
	community penalties
	custodial penalties
	Torbay YOT met the target and reduced the reoffending rate by 12.4 per cent.
	 Ethnicity
	The performance indicator for 2006-07 and 2007-08 was to ensure that any significant difference between the ethnic composition of offenders on all pre-court and court disposals and the ethnic composition of the local community was reduced year on year. The indicator focuses on achieving a significant reduction (with a 90 per cent. confidence interval) in the disproportionally of the ethnic group most over-represented in 2005-06.
	Torbay YOT has not been scored on ethnicity as the overrepresentation in 2005-06 was not statistically significant.
	The following table shows performance against the targets/indicators.
	
		
			  Performance indicators2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Reduction in the reoffending rate compared to 2002 baseline  Target — — — 5.0 — 
			   Torbay — — — 12.4 — 
			 Final Warnings  Target 80.0 80.0 80.0 100.0 100.0 
			   Torbay 93.5 92.8 85.3 100.0 98.1 
			 Use of secure facilities Secure remands Target 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 9.0 
			   Torbay 46.2 35.3 26.7 35.0 10.3 
			  Use of custody Target 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.0 5.0 
			   Torbay 0.7 0.8 3.7 2.4 3.3 
			 Restorative justice Restorative justice Target 80.0 75.0 75.0 75.0 25.0 
			   Torbay 72.4 90.6 85.8 93.4 62.2 
			  Victim satisfaction Target 70.0 75.0 75.0 75.0 85.0 
			   Torbay 92.4 97.6 97.1 99.1 98.1 
			 Parenting Parenting interventions Target — 10.0 10.0 10.0 20.0 
			   Torbay — 18.7 16.9 11.6 8.6 
			  Parenting satisfactions (prevention programmes 07-08*) Target 70.0 75.0 75.0 75.0 *20 
			   Torbay 100.0 93.3 95.2 95.5 *20 
			 Asset  Target 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 — 
			   Torbay 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.4 — 
			 Pre Sentence Reports  Target 90.0 90.0 90.0 90.0 — 
			   Torbay *89.8 100.0 100.0 100.0 — 
			 Detention Training Orders  Target 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			   Torbay 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 90.9 
			 Education, Training and Employment  Target 90.0 90.0 90.0 90.0 90.0 
			   Torbay 73.2 81.7 85.9 82.2 76.8 
			 Accommodation  Target 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			   Torbay 97.0 99.0 96.1 95.1 97.1 
			 Mental Health  Target 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			  Acute CAMHS Torbay 100.0 n/a 100.0 100.0 n/a 
			   Target 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			  Non-acute CAMHS Torbay 100.0 100.0 86.7 78.3 82.9 
			 Substance Misuse  Target — 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			  assessment Torbay — 77.8 97.1 100.0 100.0 
			   Target — 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			  intervention Torbay — 98.4 100.0 100.0 100.0

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have made a request to his Department that an existing health centre or health centre already under development be counted as its contribution to his Department's programme for a GP-led health centre in each primary care trust area; and which requests were accepted.

Ben Bradshaw: All primary care trusts have been asked to commission an additional general practitioner-led health centre, and have been given additional funding to commission those services. The Department has not received specific requests from primary care trusts (PCTs) to use existing health centres: PCTs have been guided by the principle that these should be new procurements, but that they could count any planned health centres as long as they had not already been put out to tender before the publication of "Our NHS, Our Future: The NHS Next Stage Review Interim Report" in October 2007, and met the core criteria. These are: 8am to 8pm opening 365 days a year, situated in easily accessible locations with bookable and walk-in appointments for both registered and non-registered patients.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department to respond to the letter sent by the hon. Member for Billericay to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Services dated 25 September on the subject of the accord between the NHS Litigation Authority and FirstAssist.

Ann Keen: Information regarding the accord between FirstAssist and the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) is not held by the Department. It is necessary to obtain the information from the NHSLA and every effort will be made to respond within the Department's Whitehall Standard target of 20 working days from receipt of the letter.

Mental Health Services: Young Offender Institutions

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on average in providing child and adolescent mental health services for each young offenders institution in each of the last eight years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Transfer of the responsibility for commissioning health services in young offender institutions, and adult prisons in England, commenced in 2003 and was fully devolved to the NHS by April 2006. Primary care trusts (PCTs) work with their partner establishments to develop a comprehensive health needs assessment of the population and commission on the basis of that need.
	Since 2006 all funding including mental health forms part of the wider heath care allocation and is paid out as part of the NHS Bundle and part of PCT main allocation.
	The Department has provided £1.5 million additional funding for 2007-08, repeated in 2008-09, to extend the range of child and adolescent mental health services in the secure estate for children and young people.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the senior officer responsible for Connecting for Health is.

Ben Bradshaw: Day-to-day responsibility for NHS Connecting for Health and the programmes and projects for which it is responsible lies with Martin Bellamy, director of programme and system delivery. Mr. Bellamy reports to Christine Connelly, the Department's chief information officer for health, whose role is to develop and deliver the Department's overall information strategy and to integrate leadership across the national health service and associated bodies, including NHS Connecting for Health.

NHS: Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value was of public sector pensions in the NHS in each of the last five years; and what the cost to the public purse was of providing such pensions in each year.

Ann Keen: The information requested for England and Wales is given in the following table.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Total pension expenditure (£000) 3,173,435 3,355,137 3,588,832 3,943,072 4,461,791 
			 Employer contributions (£000) 1,632,536 3,588,337 3,890,167 4,301,122 4,579,685 
			 Employee contributions (£000) 1,509,710 1,645,090 1,818,140 1,995,282 2,127,235 
			 Total income received (£000) 3,374,243 5,500,521 5,999,216 6,569,369 7,043,875 
			 Employer contribution rate (Percentage) 7 14 14 14 14 
			 Employee contribution rate (Percentage)  
			 Manual staff 5 5 5 5 5 
			 Others 6 6 6 6 6 
			  Notes: 1. Total pension expenditure includes transfers out and refunds. 2. Total income received includes transfers in, and premature retirement costs.  Source: NHS Pensions.

Organs: Donors

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of donor hearts were found to be diseased or otherwise defective prior to transplantation in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what percentage of hearts removed from donors  (a) were transplanted into recipients,  (b) reached their destination hospital within four hours of ischemic time and  (c) were not transplanted into recipients in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Organs are offered to transplant centres for potential transplantation into patients on the basis of the information available about the donor. Transplant centres may decline organs based on the information supplied before they are retrieved.
	Between April 2007 and March 2008 of the 444 hearts which were offered for transplantation, 317 were not accepted because they were damaged, had poor function or for a reason unrelated to the condition of the heart. Of the 127 hearts retrieved, only three were found to be unsuitable on arrival at the transplant centre.
	Of the time between removal and perfusion of the heart to arrival at the recipient hospital for 116 of 127 cases, in over 99 per cent. of cases the organ reached the destination hospital in less than four hours.

Palliative Care

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on do not resuscitate decisions.

Ann Keen: Individual decisions about resuscitation, like all treatment decisions, are a matter for the health professionals and patients involved. Health professionals should discuss possible treatment options with patients, including, where appropriate, whether resuscitation should be attempted. If it is agreed that resuscitation should not be attempted, then this agreement should be noted in the person's medical records (a do not attempt resuscitation order). As with other treatments, a person with capacity can make an advance decision to refuse resuscitation, which must be followed if it is valid and applicable.
	If the patient does not have the capacity to make the decision, then health professionals will need to make treatment decisions in line with the Mental Capacity Act. The decision must be made in the person's best interests, which includes consideration of the person's wishes and preferences and the person's medical condition and the likely success of resuscitation, in discussion with the person's family and friends.
	Trusts and other organisations should have resuscitation policies in place that reflect clinical best practice and the legal position.

Pharmacy

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP dispensaries there are in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England.

Ben Bradshaw: Data is only available by primary care trust (PCT) area and for England only. Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for each Devolved Administration.
	The Ribble Valley constituency is covered by two PCTs—Central Lancashire PCT and East Lancashire PCT. There are five PCTs covering the Lancashire area—Central Lancashire PCT; East Lancashire PCT; North Lancashire PCT; Blackpool PCT and Blackburn and Darwen PCT.
	Information on the number of dispensing practices in each PCT area is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Dispensing  Non-dispensing 
			 Blackburn and Darwen PCT (5CC) 0 40 
			 Blackpool PCT (5HP) 0 28 
			 Central Lancashire PCT (5NG) 2 98 
			 East Lancashire PCT (5NH) 6 71 
			 North Lancashire PCT (5NF) 6 47 
			 Total 14 284 
			  Note: 1. Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT became part of East Lancashire PCT on 1 October 2006. 
		
	
	As at 16 October 2008, there were 1,122 dispensing general practitioner practices in England.

Animal Welfare: Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what teaching about animal welfare takes place in schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In the new secondary curriculum, introduced from this September, there are opportunities for schools to teach about animal welfare. Citizenship helps young people to consider a wide range of political, social, ethical and moral problems. In Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE education), pupils take increasing responsibility for themselves, their choices and behaviours.
	There are resources produced by the RSPCA and by the DCSF Growing Schools programme that help teachers explore animal welfare issues.

Pupil Referral Units: Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 498W on pupil referral units: truancy, how many and what percentage of  (a) male and  (b) female pupils received (i) temporary and (ii) permanent exclusions from pupil referral units in the school year 2006-07.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information on exclusions from pupil referral units in 2006/07 is not collected centrally.

Pupils: Databases

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made on developing a central database to record pupils' examination results; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on developing a central database to record pupils' examination results; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There are currently three databases either established or in development for recording pupil achievement data at various levels: the National Pupil Database, Managing Information Across Partners (MIAP), and the Diploma Aggregation Service(1) (DAS).
	The Department maintains the National Pupil Database which contains pupils' test and examination results from key stage test results to GCSE and A levels. This database, which was created in 2002, is the source of the data published in the Achievement and Attainment Tables.
	The DIUS-led MIAP initiative supports data sharing in the education and training sector for the benefit of learners over 14 years old. One of the services that MIAP delivers is the Learner Record Service, which brings together participation and achievement information already collected, and presents it in an online learner record, which the learner can share with others where they wish. The first versions of the record are being trialled this autumn, and, subject to successful trials, the plan is to enable full access to the learner record in summer 2009.
	The estimated cost of MIAP, including other key services, for the period January 2007 to January 2012 will be £53.6 million.
	(1) The Diploma Aggregation Service is designed and managed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to enable the aggregation and awarding of Diplomas, and became operational on 1 September this year. The total cost of the Diploma Aggregation Service from April 2006 until 31 August 2008 is £18 million.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 22 August on discrimination by employers against people with mental illness.

Maria Eagle: The issue raised by the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's constituent was one relating to disability. The matter was referred to my hon. Friend the then Minister for Disabled People for a response. My hon. Friend responded to this matter on the 26 September. I would be happy to provide a copy of this correspondence to the hon. Member at his request.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Christmas functions  (a) he,  (b) officials from his Department and  (c) officials from its executive agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: I hosted four Christmas receptions attended by over 1,400 representatives from the criminal justice, policing, military, charity and community sectors across Northern Ireland. The total cost was £32,105.41. I also attend external engagements at Christmas time.
	It is not possible to provide details on external Christmas functions that officials from my Department and Executive agencies attended as this information would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies spent on (i) recruitment consultants and (ii) external recruitment advertising to recruit staff in each of the last five financial years; which recruitment consultants were employed for those purposes in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Prison Service uses recruitment consultants to run aptitude tests and assessment centre selection. In other parts of the Department, recruitment consultants are used only where recruitment competitions fail to produce suitable candidates or where executive searches are required to identify suitable applicants. These consultants are selected in line with NIO procurement policy.
	The following tables provide details of fees paid to consultants and advertising costs in the NIO for each of the years requested.
	
		
			  Table (a) (i) NIO core Department—use of consultants 
			   Consultants used  Consultant fees (£) 
			 2003-04 Capita and Penna Consulting 5,483.43 
			 2004-05 Capita and Penna Consulting 12,277.85 
			 2005-06 Parity Recruitment 6,286.25 
			 2006-07 Parity Recruitment, Veredus and Hayes Recruitment 42,037.51 
			 2007-08 — — 
		
	
	
		
			  Table (a) (ii) NIO core Department—recruitment advertising costs 
			   Advertising costs (£) 
			 2003-04 8,063.14 
			 2004-05 182,414.70 
			 2005-06 76,844.74 
			 2006-07 49,105.27 
			 2007-08 23,952.65 
		
	
	
		
			  Table (b) (i) NIO Executive agencies—use of consultants 
			   Consultants used  Consultant fees (£) 
			 2003-04 — — 
			 2004-05 Grafton 36,267.98 
			 2005-06 Parity Recruitment and Grafton 52,225.18 
			 2006-07 Parity Recruitment 31,633.71 
			 2007-08 Grafton 70,553.46 
		
	
	
		
			  Table (b) (ii) NIO Executive agencies—recruitment advertising costs 
			   Advertising costs (£) 
			 2003-04 120,799.70 
			 2004-05 189,127.91 
			 2005-06 107,886.66 
			 2006-07 189,461.15 
			 2007-08 207,270.82

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many cases of sectarianism within the police force were reported within the Northern Ireland Police Service in each of the last 10 years; and how many officers were  (a) found to have been sectarian,  (b) dismissed as a result and  (c) received disciplinary action as a result in each year;
	(2)  what definition the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses of institutionalised homophobia;
	(3)  what percentage of recruits entering the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years completed their full probationary period;
	(4)  what definition of institutionalised sectarianism the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses;
	(5)  what definition of institutionalised racism the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses;
	(6)  how many cases of racism within the Northern Ireland Police Service were reported in each of the last 10 years; and how many officers  (a) were found to have been racist,  (b) were dismissed as a result and  (c) received disciplinary action as a result in each year;
	(7)  what steps the Police Service of Northern Ireland has taken to use social networking sites to encourage reporting of homophobic hate crimes and incidents; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  what percentage of Northern Ireland police recruits identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender in each of the last five years; and what percentage of those recruits completed their full probationary period.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House and the  Official Report.

Arctic

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international meetings to discuss claims over the Arctic he plans to attend in the next 12 months.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans in this regard. None the less, the UN takes an active interest in many Arctic issues and engages with Artic states, both bilaterally and in international forums. For example, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attend meetings of the Artic Council at which the UK is a state observer, and will take part in the next meeting in Norway in November.

Departmental Sick Leave

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average duration of single periods of sick leave taken by staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The average duration for single periods of sickness absence taken by UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Wilton Park, an Executive Agency of the FCO, are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of days 
			  Financial year  FCO  Wilton Park 
			 2005-06 4.2 15.5 
			 2006-07 3.3 15.6 
			 2007-08 3.8 15.0 
		
	
	The FCO does not hold records of staff sickness absences before 2005. Nor does it have access to the sickness absence records of non-departmental public bodies. Sickness absence figures for FCO Services, which became a Trading Fund on 1 April 2008, are included in the FCO total.

Departmental Sick Leave

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility have taken sick days due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of staff of each body this represented in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The following table sets out the number of UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Wilton Park, an Executive Agency of the FCO, who gave stress and mental illness as reasons for sickness absence and the percentage they represent of the total workforce.
	
		
			  Financial year  FCO  Wilton Park 
			  2005-06   
			 Number of staff 137 6 
			 Percentage of workforce 2.3 8.1 
			
			  2006-07   
			 Number of staff 128 10 
			 Percentage of workforce 2.1 13.5 
			
			  2007-08   
			 Number of staff 119 10 
			 Percentage of workforce 2.0 13.5 
		
	
	FCO sickness absence records do not distinguish clearly between mental health and stress-related absences. The FCO does not hold records of staff sickness absence before 2005. Nor does it have access to the sickness absence records of non- departmental public bodies.

Diplomatic Service: Equality

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK  (a) ambassadors and  (b) high commissioners are (i) female and (ii) from an ethnic minority background.

Gillian Merron: 22 Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff currently serving as Heads of Mission overseas (including ambassadors, high commissioners and governors of British overseas territories) are women. Four Heads of Mission have recorded that they are from an ethnic minority (British minority ethnic).

Diplomatic Service: Security

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests he has received from HM ambassadors for an increase in security staff since 2000; and how many such requests he granted.

Gillian Merron: It is not Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) practice to comment on security at its overseas posts.
	The FCO takes the security of its staff extremely seriously. We maintain a specialist team of overseas security advisers who regularly review all security arrangements.

Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) the Executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in his (i) Department and (ii) Executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 651-57W.

Ethiopia: Eritrea

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Ethiopian authorities to accept the final and binding verdict of the International Ethiopian Eritrean Boundary Commission and withdraw its forces from the disputed areas.

Gillian Merron: The UK's policy towards the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute is based on three principles: to avoid any return to war, which would be unacceptable; for the border to be demarcated; and for the parties to normalise their relations. Ethiopia and Eritrea should agree a way forward to allow demarcation to proceed and for a normalisation process to begin, as set out in the Algiers Agreements of June and December 2000, to which both Ethiopia and Eritrea are signatories.
	We have set out this policy to both Ethiopia and Eritrea, including in November 2007 when my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. The former Minister for the Middle East most recently discussed the border situation when he met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in June and the Eritrean ambassador in July. In addition, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials continually reiterate these messages to both the Ethiopian and Eritrean ambassadors to London and to their interlocutors in the Governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea in Addis Ababa and Asmara respectively.
	Even with the termination of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) on 31 July the UNSC made clear the Algiers Agreements remain in force. The UN Secretary-General will continue to monitor the situation and consult both parties in an effort to (1) achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement of their border dispute, and (2) help the countries to normalise their relations.
	We will continue to pursue the policy above with our international partners, including through the efforts of the United Nations with the parties, to which UK efforts are closely aligned and to which we give our support.

Iran: Diplomatic Service

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on commercial relations with Iran of changes in staffing levels in the commercial section of the British Embassy in Tehran.

Bill Rammell: UK policy is to support UN and EU sanctions by making clear to the Iranian regime that it cannot be business as usual as long as they fail to comply with UN Security Council resolutions and co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Authority. We are prepared to risk any impact the reduction in trade promotion activities may have on British business with Iran in order to maintain pressure on the Iranian regime over its nuclear programme. It is too early to judge the effect these changes may have on our wider commercial relationship with Iran. We look forward to the day when we can return to business as usual, to the benefit of the UK and Iran. But a decision to reach that state rests with the Iranian regime. It is of note that trade between the UK and Iran fell by 8 per cent. over the first four months of this year.

Kosovo: Natural Resources

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the product of the Gazivoda Reservoir in Kosovo is available without impediment to all communities in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Gazivoda reservoir supplies Northern and Central Kosovo with water for agricultural and industrial use. It also supplies drinking water to the cities of Mitrovica/Mitrovicė, Zvecan/Zveçan, Skėnderaj/Srbica and Vushtrri/Vucitrn among others. Water is available to all communities in the area served by the reservoir without impediment.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to assist Kosovo in securing greater recognition of its status by the international community.

Caroline Flint: So far, 51 countries have recognised the Republic of Kosovo including 22 EU member states and all of the G7. We have been engaging actively both in bilateral discussions and multilateral fora,. working closely with and alongside the Government of Kosovo, and with like-minded international partners to encourage further recognitions. We have also engaged with the Government of Kosovo to help it take forward its efforts on recognition.

Wouter Basson

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will direct the relevant authorities to investigate the claim made by Wouter Basson during his trial in South Africa in July 2000 that he was able to purchase defence software developed in the UK through colleagues at Porton Down; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	I believe that this question relates to a statement made by Dr. Wouter Basson, during the Truth and Reconciliation Council hearings in July 2001, that a colleague was paid to obtain a NATO approved Hazard Prediction Software, which utilised a data base initially developed at Porton Down. Officials at Dstl Porton Down have reviewed the claim and have been unable to identify any evidence to support the allegation that this software was obtained from staff at Porton Down.

Apprentices: Newcastle-under-Lyme

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeship places in the construction industry he expects to be offered in  (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and  (b) North Staffordshire in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: The latest fully audited data that we have is for the 2006/07 academic year. Figures are not directly available for North Staffordshire. Figures have been provided for Staffordshire local authority.
	Apprenticeships are demand-led and employer responsive; therefore the number of apprenticeship places available is determined by the number of places employers are able to offer and subject to learner demand. That is why, in terms of monitoring performance, we focus on the number of people who actually start on an apprenticeship programme.
	World-class Apprenticeships confirmed our commitment to stimulate a greater supply of apprenticeship places with employers. This is a key element of the remit of the new National Apprenticeship Service and its National Vacancy Matching Service which will help employers advertise apprenticeship vacancies and enable prospective apprentices to apply for them online.
	Table 1 shows apprenticeship starts for 2006/07 for Staffordshire and Newcastle-Under-Lyme, and nationally.
	Table 2 lists the apprenticeship starts in Staffordshire in 2006/07 by Sector Framework of Learning.
	Table 3 lists the apprenticeship starts in Newcastle-Under-Lyme by Sector Framework of Learning.
	
		
			  Table 1: A pprenticeship starts in 2006/07 by geographical area 
			  Area  Starts 
			 Nationally 184,000 
			 Staffordshire(1) 3,590 
			 Newcastle-Under-Lyme(2) 450 
			 (1) Staffordshire local authority based on learner's home postcode. (2) Newcastle-Under-Lyme parliamentary constituency based on learner's home postcode.  Note: Figures include apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships, and a very small number of higher level apprenticeships.  Source: ILR Work-Based Learning Data 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Apprenticeship starts in 2006/07 in Staffordshire local authority by sector framework of learning 
			  Sector framework of learning  Starts 
			 Accountancy 110 
			 Active Leisure and Learning 60 
			 Agricultural Crops and Livestock 10 
			 Amenity Horticulture 30 
			 Animal Care (1) 
			 Automotive Industry 10 
			 Aviation (1) 
			 Barbering (1) 
			 Building Services Engineering Technicians (1) 
			 Business Administration 340 
			 Children's Care Learning and Development 230 
			 Communications Technologies (Telecoms) 10 
			 Construction 400 
			 Contact Centres 110 
			 Customer Service 330 
			 Dental Nursing 20 
			 Driving Goods Vehicles 10 
			 Electrical and Electronic Servicing (1) 
			 Electricity Industry (1) 
			 Electrotechnical 110 
			 Emergency Fire Service Operations (1) 
			 Engineering 180 
			 Engineering Construction (1) 
			 Equine Industry 20 
			 Farriery (1) 
			 Fencing (1) 
			 Floristry (1) 
			 Food and Drink Manufacturing Operations (1) 
			 Furniture Industry (1) 
			 Gas Industry 20 
			 Glass Industry (1) 
			 Hairdressing 270 
			 Health and Social Care 140 
			 Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration 10 
			 Hospitality and Catering 360 
			 Industrial Applications 40 
			 IT Services and Development 20 
			 IT User 60 
			 Land-based Service Engineering 10 
			 Mail Services (1) 
			 Management 60 
			 Meat and Poultry Processing 10 
			 Optical Advisor (1) 
			 Pharmacy Technicians (1) 
			 Plumbing 100 
			 Polymer Processing and Signmaking (1) 
			 Printing 10 
			 Property Services (1) 
			 Retail 160 
			 Security Industry (1) 
			 Sporting Excellence 10 
			 Storage and Warehousing 40 
			 Teaching Assistants (1) 
			 Textiles (1) 
			 Transport Engineering and Maintenance (1) 
			 Travel and Tourism Services Leisure and Business 30 
			 Trees and Timber (1) 
			 Vehicle Body and Paint Operations 20 
			 Vehicle Fitting 10 
			 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair 160 
			 Vehicle Parts Operations 10 
			 Vehicle Sales (1) 
			 Veterinary Nursing 20 
			 Wholesale, Distribution, Warehousing and Storage 40 
			 Total 3,590 
			 (1) Represents a number less than 10.  Notes: 1. Staffordshire local authority based on learner's home postcode. 2. Figures include apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships, and a very small number of higher level apprenticeships. 3. Figures may not sum to the total due to rounding.  Source: ILR Work-Based Learning Data 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Apprenticeship starts in 2006/07 in Newcastle-Under-Lyme parliamentary constituency by sector framework of learning 
			  Sector framework of learning  Starts 
			 Accountancy 20 
			 Active Leisure and Learning (1) 
			 Agricultural Crops and Livestock (1) 
			 Amenity Horticulture (1) 
			 Animal Care (1) 
			 Automotive Industry (1) 
			 Building Services Engineering Technicians (1) 
			 Business Administration 40 
			 Children's Care Learning and Development 30 
			 Construction 40 
			 Contact Centres 50 
			 Customer Service 50 
			 Dental Nursing (1) 
			 Electrotechnical 10 
			 Engineering 20 
			 Equine Industry (1) 
			 Furniture Industry (1) 
			 Gas Industry (1) 
			 Hairdressing 30 
			 Health and Social Care 10 
			 Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (1) 
			 Hospitality and Catering 30 
			 Industrial Applications 10 
			 IT Services and Development (1) 
			 IT User 20 
			 Management 10 
			 Plumbing 10 
			 Retail 20 
			 Storage and Warehousing (1) 
			 Textiles (1) 
			 Travel and Tourism Services Leisure and Business (1) 
			 Vehicle Body and Paint Operations (1) 
			 Vehicle Fitting (1) 
			 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair 20 
			 Vehicle Parts Operations (1) 
			 Wholesale, Distribution, Warehousing and Storage (1) 
			 Total 450 
			 (1) Represents a number less than 10.  Note: 1. Newcastle-Under-Lyme parliamentary constituency based on learner's home postcode. 2. Figures include apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships, and a very small number of higher level apprenticeships. 3. Figures may not sum to the total due to rounding.  Source: ILR Work-Based Learning Data

Cultural Heritage: Pay

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 696-97W, on cultural heritage: pay, how much his Department spent on salaries for staff working on heritage in each year since 1997  (a) in 2007-08 prices and  (b) as a percentage of total expenditure on staff salaries by his Department.

Barbara Follett: The table lists the departmental expenditure on salaries of staff responsible for heritage issues such as quality of architectural design and identification and conservation of the historic environment in  (a) 2007-08 prices and  (b) as a percentage of the Department's total staff salaries.
	
		
			  Financial year  Heritage staff salaries in 2007 prices ()  As a percentage of total salaries 
			 2007-08 1,124,157 4.31 
			 2006-07 1,364,310 5.33 
			 2005-06 1,353,348 5.77 
			 2004-05 1,235,931 5.78 
			 2003-04 1,327,530 6.41 
			 2002-03 1,277,922 6.49 
			 2001-02 1,334,472 6.33 
			 2000-01 1,363,659 5.39 
			 1999-2000 1,495,573 6.05 
			 1998-97 1,600,812 6.89 
			 1997-98 1,440,411 10.50

Departmental Income

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's total annual  (a) administrative and  (b) programme income was in each year since 1997.

Barbara Follett: The Department's administrative and programme income in each year since 1997 is shown in the table. The latter is analysed by the Department's two funding allocation streams, Request for Resources 1 (RfR1) and Request for Resources 2 (RfR2). RfR1 relates to improving the quality of life through cultural and sporting activities function whereas RfR2 refers to broadening access to a rich and varied cultural and sporting life through home broadcasting and other activities.
	
		
			  000 
			   Administrative income  Programme income RfR1  Programme income RfR2 
			 2007-08 1,285 26,237 2,861,902 
			 2006-07 1,520 23,447 2,739,160 
			 2005-06 2,486 32,598 2,624,468 
			 2004-05 2,151 15,349 2,502,111 
			 2003-04 2,231 15,246 2,372,686 
			 2002-03 241 13,308 2,277,941 
			 2001-02 238 12,979 2,171,515 
			 2000-01 278 20,885 2,086,475 
			 1999-2000 257 11,447 2,270,921 
			 1998-99 624 11,776 2,146,416 
			 1997-98 226 10,397 2,010,881

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on the  (a) Sporting and  (b) Cultural Champions initiatives in each of the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the performance of each scheme against its objectives.

Andy Burnham: Information from Sport England is that it has spent 300,000 on the Sporting Champions programme in each of the last three years (2005-08). In total this has supported 1,350 visits and more than 97 per cent. of visit organizers have rated the work of the Sporting Champion as either excellent or good. The programme has helped to inspire and motivate more than 100,000 children and young people each year.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not fund a Cultural Champions programme, but it does fund a mentoring programme, which use mentors from sport, music and the media to help young people that are at risk of social exclusion engage with positive activities and make positive life choices. DCMS has allocated 1 million per year to this programme since it was established in 2006-07.

Afghanistan: Casualties

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) reports and  (b) complaints his Department has received of civilian deaths due to aeroplane attacks by NATO forces in Afghanistan in the last 12 months; what the (i) date, (ii) location and (iii) alleged resulting number of civilian deaths of each such attack was; what response his Department has made to each (A) report and (B) complaint; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence does not collate data relating to reports or complaints of civilian casualties where these do not relate to incidents allegedly caused by UK forces. Any such reports are passed to the NATO chain of command or the respective national authorities for investigation.
	Over the last 12 months, my Department has received formal notification of two occasions on which UK aircraft were involved in incidents in which civilian casualties are believed to have occurred. One occurred in March 2008 and the second in September 2008. In both cases, the incidents were subjected to a thorough and detailed investigation. There is no reason to believe that UK forces behaved inappropriately in either incident. We do not collate or publish figures for civilian casualties in Afghanistan because of the immense difficulty and risks of collecting robust data.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) armed forces personnel and  (b) civilians from his Department wounded in operations have contracted (i) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and (ii) Clostridium difficile while being treated at (A) Headley Court, (B) Selly Oak and (C) other medical facilities in the United Kingdom since 2002.

Kevan Jones: The data available in respect of the Birmingham group of hospitals (Selly Oak, Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, City and Royal Orthopaedic), which have been collated in consultation with the relevant NHS authorities, relate to military in-patients returning from service in Afghanistan or Iraq over the period January 2003 to January 2008. Over that period, available records show that only one patient is known to have become infected with MRSA Bacteraemia while being treated in a Birmingham hospital; 12 patients were infected with Clostridium difficile (including one patient diagnosed twice within a six-week period). All of the patients concerned were members of the armed forces; none was an MOD civilian.
	Over the period since 2002 we have no reports of a patient under treatment at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court contracting an infection from either methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Bacteraemia or Clostridium difficile during their stay there.
	No comparable statistics are readily available in respect of other medical facilities at which armed forces and MOD civilians have been treated. To compile them would involve a trawl of the medical records of all the relevant patient population and subsequent consultation with the microbiology departments of the NHS trusts concerned. This could be done only at disproportionate cost, and with the permission of each individual patient.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required,  (b) actual and  (c) fit for task strength is of each pinch point trade in the Armed Forces.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the liability, strength and shortfalls, in real numbers and percentage figures, from the single-Service Quarter 1 (June 2008) Pinch Point Registers. The 'Fit for Task' strengths are not routinely recorded and the cost of doing so in this instance would be disproportionably high for the Department.
	
		
			 Shortfall 
			   Liability  Strength  Number  Percentage 
			  Royal Navy 
			  Operational Pinch Point Trades 
			 Lt X SM Advanced Warfare Course Qualified 75 68 7 8 
			 RN Harrier GR7 Instructors 7 3 4 57 
			 GR7 Harrier PilotsLt 35 18 17 48 
			 Merlin Pilots 112 68 44 39 
			 Merlin Observers 116 63 53 46 
			 Merlin Aircrewmen 102 80 22 22 
			 Leading Seaman General Warfare 1,108 649 459 41 
			 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 110 84 26 24 
			 Able Rate Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 173 134 39 22 
			 Able Rate Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner) 121 96 25 21 
			 Able Rate Diver 136 95 41 30 
			 Able Rate 1 Seaman 351 297 54 15 
			 Able Rate 1 Warfare Specialist 754 673 181 24 
			 Able Rate 1 Communications and Information Systems 375 327 48 13 
			 Leading Aircraft Controllers 75 42 33 44 
			 Royal Marines Other Ranks 6,525 6,003 522 8 
			 Sea-King and Lynx Avionics Supervisors 348 284 64 18 
			 Cat A Nuclear Watchkeepers 217 164 53 24 
			 Petty Officer Mine Warfare 56 41 15 27 
			 Cat B Nuclear Watchkeepers 417 340 77 18 
			  
			  Army 
			  Operational Pinch Point Trades 
			 Infantryman Pte-LCpl 14,615 12,968 1,647 11 
			 REME Vehicle Mechanic Pte-Cpl 3,625 3,132 493 14 
			 REME Armourer Pte-Cpl 397 317 80 20 
			 REME Recovery Mechanic LCpl-Cpl 344 216 128 37 
			 Intelligence OperatorMilitary Intelligence Cpl-Sgt 690 462 228 33 
			 RE Clerk of Works SSgt-WOl 245 246 +1 -0.4 
			 REE OD Cpl-Sgt 222 95 127 57 
			 RA Gunner LBdr-Bdr 5,048 4,330 718 14 
			 RLC Ammo Tech Cpl-SSgt 285 157 128 45 
			  
			  Army 
			  Manning Pinch Point Trades 
			 AMS ITU Nurse Cpl-Capt 121 35 86 71 
			 AMS Emergency Medicine Nurse Cpl-Capt 101 38 63 62 
			 AMS Radiologist Maj 4 1 3 75 
			 AMS Orthopaedic Surg Maj+ 13 7 6 46 
			 AMS Gen Surg Maj+ 17 10 7 41 
			 AMS Anaesthetist Maj+ 49 26 23 53 
			 AMS Gen Med Prac Capt+ 153 137 16 10 
			 AMS Radiographer Cpl+ 24 10 14 58 
			 AMS Registered General Nurse 293 263 30 10 
			 AMS Operation Department Practitioner Cpl+ 95 82 13 14 
			 RA Unmanned Ariel Vehicle Operator (Level 4) LBdr-Bdr 280 237 43 15 
			 RE Mil Engr Geo Spr-W02 332 292 40 12 
			 RE Mil Engr C3S Spr-LCpl 704 593 111 16 
			 RLC Postal and Courier Op Pte-Cpl 433 350 83 19 
			 RLC Chef Pte-LCpl 1,459 1,366 93 6 
			 RSigs IS Engr Cpl-Sgt 237 202 35 15 
			 AGC(SPS) Mil Admin Pte-Sgt 2,610 2,302 308 12 
			 CAMUS Musician 300 231 69 23 
			 RE ME Fitter Spr-LCpl 549 395 154 28 
			  
			  Royal Air Force 
			  Operational Pinch Point Trades 
			 Medical 274 218 56 20 
			 Pilot (Junior Officer) 1,500 1,284 216 14 
			 Flying Branch(Career Stream) (Senior Officer) 725 685 40 5 
			 Operations Support (Intelligence) 230 230 0 0 
			 Operations Support (Regiment) 263 241 22 8 
			 Operations Support (Flight Operations) 212 202 10 5 
			 Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service 177 132 45 25 
			 Weapons System Operator (Air Load Master) 541 453 88 16 
			 Weapons System Operator (Linguist) 66 50 16 24 
			 Air Traffic Controller (ATC) / Flight Operations Manager (FOM)/Flight Operations Assistant (FOA) 1,257 1,213 44 3 
			 Firefighter 545 480 65 12 
			 Gunner 1,792 1,596 196 11 
			 Movements Operator/Controller 866 850 16 2 
			 Military Transport Technician 330 121 19 5 
			  
			  
			  Royal Air Force 
			  Manning Pinch Point Trades 
			 Administration (Training) 228 205 23 10 
			 Chaplains 78 64 14 18 
			 Medical Support 90 78 12 13 
			 Operations Support (Fighter Control) 341 295 46 13 
			 Operations Support (Air Traffic Control) 424 375 49 12 
			 Dental 68 61 7 10 
			 Intelligence Analyst (Communications) 282 229 53 19 
			 Intelligence Analyst (Imagery) 404 361 43 11 
			 Environmental Health Technician 47 37 10 21 
			 Radiographer 11 10 1 9 
			 Mess Manager/Steward 491 445 46 9 
			 Musician 172 153 19 11 
			 Royal Air Force Physical Training Instructor (PTI) 509 480 29 6 
			 SEFitt 614 589 25 4 
			 Staff Nurse (RMN) 30 25 5 17 
			 Lab Tech 15 10 5 33 
			 Med Asst/Admin 587 611 +24 +4 
			 DentHyg 21 18 3 14 
			 Dent Admin/Nurse 134 123 11 8 
			 Pers Admin 1,494 1,432 62 4 
			 Supplier 1,838 1,841 +3 +0.2 
			 MTD 1,111 1,021 90 8 
			  Note: All percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Armed Forces: Schools

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the co-operation between schools and armed forces recruitment centres; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Cooperation between armed forces recruitment staffs and local schools remains at a high level. Armed forces presentation teams and careers advisers visit about 1,000 state and public schools across the UK each year, but only at the specific invitation of the schools/colleges themselves. Their aims are to raise the students' awareness of the armed forces in a democratic society, support schools' careers programmes, facilitate participative learning exercises with students, and offer advice on service careers. The teams do not go into schools to recruit.
	We are proud of the work the single-service presentation teams do with schools and colleges to inform young people about the tremendous work undertaken and careers on offer in the armed forces and which can provide fantastic opportunities to a wide range of people from all sectors of society. Young people should be shown all available career options; the more information they receive about life in the Armed Forces, covering all points good and bad, the better informed they will be.

Campaign Against the Arms Trade

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times officials from his Department have met representatives from the Campaign Against the Arms Trade since September 2006; what the title was of each departmental official attending; what the date was of each meeting; and what the length was of each meeting.

John Hutton: We have no record of any meetings between officials of this Department and representatives from the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) since September 2006. Previously, the then Head of Defence Export Services met representatives from CAAT on 30 August 2005. The meeting lasted around half an hour.
	Responsibility for Government support to defence exports was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) on 1 April this year. I understand that the Head of UKTI Defence and Security Organisation has agreed recently to meet CAAT representatives in the near future.

Parachute Regiment: Manpower

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) establishment and  (b) current strength is of each of the three battalions of the Parachute Regiment.

Bob Ainsworth: The current strength of 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment and 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment is 646 and 607 respectively. The establishment of both Regiments is 654. I am withholding data for 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, as their release would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Tides: Timetables

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange for the Hydrographic Office to issue tide times for 2009.

Kevan Jones: Tidal predictions are available from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) in print, as software and online.
	Admiralty EasyTide online service provides free tidal predictions for over 7,000 ports worldwide for the next seven days. Admiralty TotalTide software is accepted by the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency and other maritime administrations for use by SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) vessels, and can also be purchased for leisure and domestic use.
	Official tide times, predictions and relevant data for 2009 are already available within Admiralty Tide Tables. They can be purchased online via the UKHO Admiralty webshop at:
	http://www.admiraltyshop.co.uk
	via one of the Admiralty distributors listed at:
	http://www.ukho.gov.uk/amd/howtobuy.asp
	or viewed free of charge in a good reference library.
	Official worldwide tide predictions are published no sooner than eight months in advance of a new year to ensure that they use the latest available information but in sufficient time for customers' planning needs.
	UKHO does, however, make the predictions available, e.g. through software or online services, years in advance. UKHO, however, cautions use of such predictions for safety critical work as predictions can change over time.
	UKHO tide predictions are licensed to many organisations and individuals for a variety of public purposes and publications, the majority being free-of-charge licences.
	Real-time tides are monitored at discrete locations by Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory through whom real-time tide gauge readings are available. Historical raw tide gauge data is obtainable from British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC). Other agencies may also collect tidal data.

Remploy

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the modernisation of Remploy; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Remploy's modernisation plan was announced to the House by the Secretary of State, on 29 November 2007.
	Remploy are currently implementing their five-year modernisation plan, which will see a greater emphasis on supporting more disabled people into mainstream jobs. This will be around 20,000 people per year by 2013.
	The modernisation plan saw the closure of 18 factories and the merger of 11 sites, with other local factories.

Post Office Card Account

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department will announce the result of the competition for the contract to provide the post office card account.

James Purnell: This is a commercial tendering process, bound by UK and European law. We will announce the outcome when that is completed.

Workers Registration Scheme: Greater London

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people registered on the Workers Registration Scheme there have been in each London borough in each year since the new scheme was introduced in May 2004.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Office only records the regional distribution of workers from A8 countries when they first registered to the worker registration scheme. Data by local authority was published in August 2008 in concert with the Accession Monitoring Report (AMR) on the Local Government Analysis  Research (LGAR) website.
	The following table shows the last published available data by local authority for the number of workers when they first registered to the worker registration scheme (WRS) in each London borough since the scheme was introduced.
	
		
			  Local authority  May 2004to March 2006  April to December 2006  January to December 2007  January to June 2008 
			 Barking and Dagenham 250 85 135 50 
			 Barnet 3,170 580 1,155 550 
			 Bexley 285 85 130 60 
			 Brent 2,160 685 1,070 405 
			 Bromley 515 155 220 95 
			 Camden 5,435 1,640 2,335 995 
			 City of London 1,955 710 915 510 
			 Croydon 1,225 390 610 265 
			 Ealing 3,745 1,310 1,970 935 
			 Enfield 1,175 465 625 295 
			 Greenwich 750 340 485 205 
			 Hackney 1,255 330 540 325 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,555 1,120 1,380 630 
			 Haringey 1,650 410 580 305 
			 Harrow 1,410 500 810 165 
			 Havering 285 220 260 115 
			 Hillingdon 2,785 875 1,355 560 
			 Hounslow 1,785 670 1,045 440 
			 Islington 1,715 505 745 410 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,440 595 820 435 
			 Kingston upon Thames 705 205 285 145 
			 Lambeth 1,060 420 525 355 
			 Lewisham 625 150 195 80 
			 Merton 1,280 395 535 265 
			 Newham 1,045 335 330 215 
			 Redbridge 625 635 750 330 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,190 340 500 300 
			 Southwark 3,110 845 1,220 560 
			 Sutton 345 115 160 115 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,515 585 845 360 
			 Waltham Forest 900 275 505 210 
			 Wandsworth 1,890 515 630 305 
			 Westminster 11,745 3,270 4,260 2,145 
			 Total 62,575 19,775 27,920 13,150 
			 Notes: 1. 99 per cent. of approved nationwide applications currently have an accurate postcode. Applications where postcodes could not be matched to the Office of National Statistics database are excluded from this data-set.  2. Figures based on employers address and the date the application is approved, rather than the date on the application form as used in the Accession Monitoring Report.  3. Figures are rounded to nearest five.  4. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to total shown.  5. The table presents a gross (cumulative) figure for the number of workers applying to the WRS. The figures are not current, an individual who has registered to work and who leaves employment is not required to de-register, so some of those counted will have left the employment for which they registered and indeed some are likely to have left the UK. 
		
	
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.